Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Laos
Laos: Population in the largest city (% of urban population) was 23.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Laos, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in the largest city in Laos is 23.8%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Laos peaked at 64.8% in 1967 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 2025.
Laos ranks 101st of 153 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 45.6% | — |
| 1961 | 48.5% | +6.5% |
| 1962 | 51.6% | +6.2% |
| 1963 | 54.7% | +6.0% |
| 1964 | 57.9% | +5.9% |
| 1965 | 61.3% | +5.8% |
| 1966 | 64.8% | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 64.8% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 64.2% | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 63.3% | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 62.2% | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 61.1% | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 60.2% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 59.0% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 57.5% | -2.6% |
| 1975 | 56.2% | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 55.1% | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 54.2% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 53.4% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 52.6% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 51.8% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 50.8% | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 49.7% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 48.5% | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 47.4% | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 46.3% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 45.6% | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 45.0% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 44.3% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 43.7% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 43.0% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 42.4% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 41.7% | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 40.9% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 40.1% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 39.5% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 39.2% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 38.7% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 38.0% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 37.3% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 36.7% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 36.2% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 35.8% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 35.7% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 35.8% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 35.7% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 34.6% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 33.6% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 32.8% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 31.9% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 31.2% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 30.0% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 29.4% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 29.0% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 28.5% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 27.8% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 26.5% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 25.9% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 25.4% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 24.9% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 24.6% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 24.2% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 24.0% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 23.8% | -0.8% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 23.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.8%, 75% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Laos's 23.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 25.4%, 94% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 57.7% | 45.6% | 64.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.2% | 52.6% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 47.3% | 43.7% | 51.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 40.1% | 37.3% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.9% | 31.9% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.6% | 25.9% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.5% | 23.8% | 25.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More urban development data for Laos
- Population density 33.66 people per sq. km of land area (2024)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 755,941 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.15 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 11.76 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 13.24 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Laos?
- Population in the largest city in Laos was 23.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 64.8% in 1967.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 2025.
- How does Laos rank for population in the largest city?
- Laos ranks 101st out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.